HEC Montréal is a Temple of knowledge, says Dan S. Hanganu. 'We must not forget that nowadays, teaching is a driving force.' That is why the entrance to the new building will be the very image of a grand School; 'truly majestic, in his words. For the architect, the facade of a building 'must express what happens inside.' The architect of the HEC Montréal building has no use for the showy. In fact, quite the opposite: every architectural element has a very specific function. The columns of the main entrance are, among other things, air inlets. *** 'Architecture can be a very dangerous instrument,' continues Dan S. Hanganu. 'We can make people happy or unhappy depending on what kind of space we design for them.' To fully grasp the students' needs, for example, the architect went so far as to visit the school 'in secret' to observe students in the third floor work areas. This inspired him to create areas bathed in natural light. Similarly, a meeting room that had originally been designed lengthwise became transversal, allowing more light to enter. 'I always act out of conviction,' declares Dan S. Hanganu. 'The changes made to HEC Montréal are improvements for everybody.' Source: http://www.hec.ca/en/generalinfo/hanganu.html